The Night Watcher of Great Jing - Chapter 99

The fifth day of the fifth month was also known as the Midheaven Festival.

In Zhao Li’s original world, every Dragon Boat Festival called for the utmost vigilance.

Thousands of years of belief among her people were enough to awaken certain things.

Some of those things were benevolent, others malevolent.

And they often brought trouble.

Zhao Li had never once properly celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival.

Yet in this world, she finally got to experience what a festive atmosphere felt like.

Matron Wan woke her at the crack of dawn and washed her eyes with mugwort water.

Then, like a child, Zhao Li went to the main kitchen with a five-colored cord tied around her wrist.

She helped wrap the sticky rice dumplings, happily farming experience as she went.

Once they were done, she carried a string of date-filled dumplings to the front hall.

“No wonder today’s dumplings taste so good. So you were the one who made them, Commander Zhao.”

“If they’re good, eat more!” Zhao Li greeted her colleagues amiably.

“Commander Zhao, these are sweets from the Yang shop down the street. Please accept them as my humble gift.”

Someone passing by handed her a brown-paper parcel.

Zhao Li recognized the bearded man she had saved the other day and accepted it. “Thanks!”

The bearded man laughed heartily. “No need to thank me. I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

With that, he gave a quick farewell, held down his hat, and hurried away.

A string of sticky rice dumplings in her left hand and a packet of sweets coated in fine white sugar in her right, Zhao Li went to the statue of Bian’an.

“Please enjoy these dumplings, Lord Bian’an.”

And please keep looking out for me!

Zhao Li kept that second part to herself.

She placed the dumplings on the altar, found a plate meant for offerings, and poured half the sugared sweets the bearded man had given her onto it.

The altar already held seasonal offerings of realgar wine and dogwood-and-calamus wine.

There were also fried dough twists and fermented fish.

Someone had put considerable care into the offerings.

The smoke before Bian’an’s golden statue stirred softly. A slender wisp of blue smoke curled once around Zhao Li.

As usual, an offering orange came rolling toward her.

Zhao Li caught it happily. “Thank you, Lord Bian’an.”

Tossing the orange lightly in one hand, she strolled back to the Night Watch Bureau’s duty room.

Lu Zhao and Lu Jianxing handled the Bureau’s routine affairs. Zhao Li was perfectly happy to take it easy, sitting off to the side with tea and sweets.

Her peaceful day did not last long.

A man dressed as a local constable was led in by Li Qing, trembling with fear.

“Commander Zhao, something uncanny may have happened on the outskirts of the capital.”

Li Qing cupped his hands and reported, “Three days ago, the only daughter of a family surnamed Zhang died. They found a son from an impoverished family and arranged a ghost marriage for her.”

“But the next day, the dead young lady’s body appeared in that unfortunate man’s bed.”

“Even when they buried her again, she would invariably turn up the following day, covered head to toe in dirt.”

Li Qing’s account made Zhao Li turn grave at once.

Anything capable of affecting physical objects was no minor entity.

When Lin Yu had moved the stone figures, if Zhao Li had not unraveled the Yin-Gathering Pool in time and caught Lin Lan and the other woman for Lin Yu to vent her anger on, Zhao Li would have had little choice but to storm the Fragrant Orchid Courtyard.

Now another being capable of affecting the physical world had appeared. Zhao Li could not afford to take it lightly.

At Li Qing’s signal, the constable who had followed him inside stepped forward. “Commander Zhao, this happened in Yifeng Village, on the outskirts of the capital.”

The constable was plainly nervous. He craned his neck and swallowed.

“Don’t be nervous. Take your time.” Zhao Li had him sit and poured him a cup of tea.

The constable stole a cautious glance at her. Seeing that she was young and attractive, he relaxed a little and began. “That day, someone came to report a grave robbery and a stolen corpse.”

“The family was surnamed Zhang. The stolen body belonged to Master Zhang’s only daughter.”

“Miss Zhang had been pampered from childhood and had a stubborn disposition. She took a liking to a strapping young man in the village and insisted on marrying him.”

“But how could Master Zhang agree to let his daughter go off and live in hardship? He confined her to her room and, in a fit of anger, said something he didn’t mean.”

“Not unless you die. Otherwise, it will never happen.”

By this point, Zhao Li already knew that trouble must have followed. Sure enough, the constable continued.

“No one expected Miss Zhang to hang herself in her chamber that very night, all because of that one thoughtless remark.”

“Master Zhang was devastated to lose his only daughter before her time. Then he remembered what he had said in anger, so he sent his steward to the strapping young man’s family with a marriage proposal.”

Zhao Li frowned.

If Miss Zhang had hanged herself so that she could marry the man, then once the wedding was held, her wish should have been fulfilled. She should not have caused any trouble.

Unless…

Zhao Li tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

Unless Miss Zhang’s dying wish had not been marriage.

If it was not marriage, then what was her obsession?

Zhao Li rose. “Let’s go take a look.”

Once something like this was discovered, it had to be extinguished with full force. They could not allow the situation to spread.

She checked the saber at her waist. “Zheng Lian, come with me.”

Zheng Lian, who had been sorting case files, immediately stood. “Yes.”

“Master Lu, I’ll leave this place to you.”

It was the Dragon Boat Festival, and the countryside was sure to have plenty of festivities such as dragon-boat races. She did not want their fish-patterned uniforms to spoil the villagers’ fun.

Zhao Li told Zheng Lian and Li Qing to return to their lodgings and change into ordinary clothes. She went back to her courtyard and changed into a blue outfit that was easier to move in.

Then she found a piece of cloth and wrapped her saber in it.

She had just stepped through the courtyard gate when she saw Matron Wan approaching with a tray.

On it lay small gold-leather talismans, back ornaments wound with yarn, and several sachets.

There were also a few adorable, fluffy yarn hairpins.

The large tray was packed full.

Seeing Zhao Li dressed that way, Matron Wan froze. “Miss Li, what are you…?”

“I have an assignment. I need to make a trip.” Zhao Li added, “I won’t be back for dinner today.”

Matron Wan could not help frowning in concern. “Lord Shen specifically told us to make some seasonal dishes for the festival today, and now…”

Even as she spoke, Matron Wan knew full well what Zhao Li’s work entailed. She hurriedly told Zhao Li to wait and walked quickly to the kitchen.

Before long, she returned with a large bundle filled with food wrapped in oiled paper.

“Take this. Don’t go hungry,” Matron Wan urged.

Zhao Li smiled until her eyes narrowed. “Thank you, Matron.”

When she made to leave, Matron Wan hastily selected a five-colored insect-repelling sachet from the tray and fastened it at her waist.

“Lord Shen had all these sent over for you. They’re fine pieces made in the palace workshops. You ought to wear at least one for the occasion.”

“There are many venomous insects after the festival. This will repel mosquitoes and other bugs, so mind you don’t get bitten.”

Zhao Li showed no impatience as she listened to Matron Wan fuss over her.

Only after Matron Wan had secured the sachet did Zhao Li turn in a circle. “It looks nice, and it smells nice too.”

At that, a trace of a smile appeared on Matron Wan’s face.

“I’m off, Matron!” Zhao Li waved to her with a bright smile.

“Go on, then. Be careful.”

Matron Wan leaned against the doorway and watched until she disappeared into the distance.

Only after a long while did something seem to occur to her. She summoned a guard. “Take a message to Lord Shen. Miss Li has a case outside today and won’t be back for dinner.”

Matron Wan had no desire to let that lord make the trip for nothing. If he arrived to find Zhao Li absent, he would be in a foul mood and start scowling again.

Better to send word ahead and tell him to eat at the Shen residence instead.